May 2026 Newsletter - ICF-North Texas

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MAY 2026

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Board Message

Nicholas Dillon
ICF North Texas Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

deib@icf-nt.com

Hello, ICF North Texas Members,

As we step into this year’s theme, Thriving Together, we are called to move beyond intention and into meaningful, collective impact. Thriving is not an individual pursuit. It is a shared experience, built through connection, understanding, and a commitment to creating spaces where every voice matters.

The ICF North Texas DEIB Committee remains deeply committed to advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging within our coaching community. This year, our focus is clear: to elevate voices, strengthen connection, and cultivate environments where both coaches and clients can fully show up and succeed.

Welcome New Members!

We are so happy you have joined us.

Full Members:
Martha Gonzalez Rodriguez
Vicky Dearing
John Siburt
Jennifer Duggan
Benjamin Olsen

Associate Members:
Correne Constantino
Swetha Sandadi
Jennifer Green
Benedicta Williams

ICF Partner:
Patricia Porter

Congratulations to Our New Credential Holders!

ACC Credentials:
Lauren Rich, ACC
John Siburt, ACC

Coming Soon: Building a Thriving Coaching Business

Ready to grow your coaching business with greater clarity, confidence, and momentum? Our new six-session business-building series kicks off on June 1 and is open to all ICF North Texas members.

Led by experts from our chapter, you’ll learn how to identify what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your efforts for the greatest return. We’ll cover topics like pricing and offers, attracting clients, networking and referrals, digital marketing, and expanding your reach through speaking, partnerships, and more.

The program is designed for coaches at any stage of business growth, and offers practical strategies, clear calls to action, and real-world guidance you can apply right away from people who have done the work and understand what it takes to build a successful coaching business.

More details are coming soon. Check the website and watch chapter communications for updates.

Contact Steve Hendon at steve@practicetobusiness.com with any questions.

ICW and Coast to Coast Coaching

Join us for the 3rd Annual Coast to Coast Pro Bono Coaching Event

Select the organization to impact through coaching.
Commit to 3 hours of pro bono coaching from April 1 – May 19.
Display your ICF North Texas Pro Bono Badge.
Track and submit your hours — and be part of the coast-to-coast impact.

Upcoming Chapter Meeting

Step Into Shared Humanity
Led by Nick Dillon, MS, MA NCAC, LCDC, SAP, CEAP and ICF North Texas DEIB Committee
May 8, 2026

Hybrid Meeting - 11:15 AM – 1:15 PM CT
Networking begins at 11:15 AM | Meeting begins at 11:30 AM

In Person at Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N O’Connor Road, Irving, TX 75061
Or Virtually Via Zoom

In-Person Attendees Registering: Members - $50 | Non-Members: - $60
Virtual Attendees: Members – $30 | Non-Members - $40

CCEUs: 1.5 Core Competency 1.5 | 0.5 Resource Development

As we prepare for International Coaching Week, we are inviting you to join us for a meaningful and interactive experience focused on connection, empathy, and belonging.

Through this guided experience led by our DEIB Committee, participants discover the shared human experiences that unite us across backgrounds, identities, and professional roles. The activity creates moments of reflection and unexpected connection within the coaching community.

What to Expect:

An engaging and interactive belonging experience
Reflection on shared human experiences
Meaningful connection with fellow coaches
Insight into creating belonging in professional spaces
A practical activity that can be used with clients or coaching team

For virtual attendees: We can’t wait to see you! To help us get the most out of our time together, if possible, please have your camera on and join from a quiet, well-lit spot with your notifications silenced. If you’re using a phone, just prop it up so you can be fully present and enjoy networking with your fellow coaches!

ICW SMU Event

Experience the Power of Coaching: A Thriving Together Luncheon
In Partnership with SMU
Tuesday, May 19

Hybrid Event | 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM CT

In Person at Southern Methodist University
3101 University Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75205
Building: Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall, Classroom 138
Or Virtually Via Zoom

CCEUs: 1.5 Core Competency | 0.5 Resource Development

We’re honored to partner with SMU for International Coaching Week 2026! Join us on May 19 from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM at SMU for a special hybrid luncheon event.

The event is centered on this year’s theme, “Thriving Together: Celebrating Strengths and Expanding Possibilities.” This engaging event will bring together leaders, educators, and coaches to explore how coaching unlocks potential, strengthens collaboration, and expands what’s possible—for individuals, teams, and entire communities.

The program will also feature a live coaching demonstration led by one of our Master Certified Coaches (MCC), Susan Shapiro, offering a powerful, real-time glimpse into the impact of coaching in action.

Lunch will be provided.
Registration is FREE and is now open—secure your spot today!

We hope you’ll join us for this inspiring experience and be part of a community committed to thriving—together.

ICW Webinar

Better Brain, Better Coaching: How Sharpening Your Mind Sharpens Their Results
Monika Robinson, M.Ed,

May 20, 2026 - 9:00 – 10:00 AM CT

Join us for a special post-ICW event focused on how your own mental fitness strengthens your coaching presence and supports stronger client outcomes. Learn how shifting from stress mode to a clear, creative state can help you stay fully present, create more space for client breakthroughs, and coach with greater impact.

ICF North Texas DEIB 2026 Lunch and Learn Series
Series Theme — Voices of Belonging: Building Cultures Where We Thrive Together

Series Overview

This three-part Lunch and Learn series advances our DEIB strategy by centering belonging as a catalyst for coaching excellence. Anchored in the updated ICF Core Competencies, the series is designed as a progressive arc:

Elevating voice
Sharing ownership
Sustaining the work

Each 60-minute session will include a 45-minute interactive presentation and 15-minute facilitated dialogue.

The intent is to move beyond awareness and create practical, competency-based growth that strengthens our chapter culture and coaching impact.

Session 1 – JUNE 18 | 12:00 PM CT

Voices of Belonging: Listening Beyond Words

Purpose: To deepen members’ ability to create coaching spaces where diverse voices are genuinely heard, valued, and affirmed.

Session 2 – JULY 16 | 12:00 PM CT

From Inclusion to Co Creation: Designing Shared Success

Purpose: To move beyond inviting voices into the room and toward shared ownership within coaching relationships and organizational culture.

Session 3 – AUGUST 20 | 12:00 PM CT

Sustainable Belonging: Thriving Without Burning Out

Purpose: To equip coaches with tools to sustain resilience while engaging in emotionally complex and identity centered work.

Additional information about these three sessions and registration is coming soon!

Contact the Director of DEIB, Nicholas Dillon, at DEIB@icf-nt.com with any questions.

2026 is Our Year of Celebrating You!

What win, milestone, or bright spot would you like to share right now?

Big or small, personal or professional, we’d love to recognize the progress you’re making and the impact you’re creating.

Share your good news with us here so we can celebrate alongside you.

Coaching Leaders for What’s Next with Futures Thinking
by Tara Hesson, ICF-NT Secretary

Coaching can help leaders think more broadly about what may be ahead. This “futures thinking” mindset encourages them to consider multiple possibilities, rather than focusing on only one expected outcome.

Rather than trying to predict the future, this approach helps leaders notice emerging patterns, test assumptions, and explore different scenarios. The ICF Thought Leadership Institute describes futures thinking as a way to anticipate change, imagine plausible futures, and support more adaptive choices. Coaching creates the space to slow down, reflect, and ask: What is shifting? What might this mean? How can I lead with clarity amid uncertainty?

This matters because the future is rarely linear. Technology, workforce expectations, and global conditions are all evolving at once. Coaching supports leaders in building adaptability, resilience, and purpose so they can respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.

For coaches, futures thinking is a practical way to expand perspective and strengthen readiness. It shifts the conversation from reacting to today’s pressures toward preparing for tomorrow’s possibilities. That can help leaders make wiser choices, lead with greater confidence, and shape the future instead of merely reacting to it.
As our world grows more complex, leaders will not benefit most from certainty. They will benefit from the ability to think ahead, adapt quickly, and lead with intention. That is where coaching can make a lasting difference.

Further Reading:

ICF Thought Leadership Institute, Futures Thinking Framework: https://thoughtleadership.org/the-icf-thought-leadership-institutes-futures-thinking-framework-a-coachs-guide-to-navigating-disr/

ICF Thought Leadership Institute, Apply the Futures Thinking Loop to Coaching: https://thoughtleadership.org/apply-the-icf-thought-leadership-institute-futures-thinking-loop-to-coaching/

ICF, The Future Is Coaching: An ICF Guide for Aspiring Coaches: https://coachingfederation.org/resource/the-future-is-coaching-an-icf-guide-for-aspiring-coaches/

ICF-North Texas Organization Sponsors

Learn more at SMU.edu

Learn more at simplygetclients.com

May Monthly Observances

Holidays and Observances:

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI)
Mental Health Awareness Month
National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM)
May 10: Mother's Day
May 25: Memorial Day

Contact Information

President Natalie Mendez, PCC	Pres-Elect Reeshemah Davis, PCC	Secretary Tara Hesson, ACC
Treasurer Rory Brannum, ACC	Past President Dr. Dara Rossi, PCC	Alliances Sheryl Chacko
Communications OPEN	Diversity Equity Inclusion Belonging Nicholas Dillon	Membership Lara Burnside
Programs Robin Fox, ACC	Sponsorships Kimberly Spikes, ACC	Special Events OPEN